The Guardian
by jadedbeauty
Summary: Reno keeps appearing in Tifa's life. Little does she know that he has been hired by Reeve to keep a watchful eye on her. What happens when Reno no longer cares about the payment? TifaxReno. Rated M for potential situations, and language.
1. A Job Offer

Hello, as always in all of my stories I don't won the characters, or the companies they are associated to. Enjoy the chapter. Once again the pairing is Tifa and Reno.

**CHAPTER 1:A JOB OFFER. **

Reno shifted his weight impatiently as he lingered outside Reeve's office. After a few moments of waiting the door parted and Reeve motioned for him to enter.

As Reno stepped into his office he shut the door behind him and offered him an irritable glare.

" Look Reeve, I don't know what this is about but I'm already bored so let's just skip the coffee and tea bullshit and cut the seat…and before you ask I won't take a seat either."

Reeve chuckled softly as he took his seat at his desk and laced his fingers together.

" Alright Reno…the job pays 500,000 gil."

The red head nearly choked on his own air when he gasped in pure shock. " O-ok….what's the job?"

" Not so fast Reno, you have to accept the job first before I give you the case." Reeve then reached beneath his desk and pulled out a steel suitcase and placed it before the Turk, as if to bring further persuasion to him.

"Tch, fine I'll take the job now give my money and my briefing and I'll be on my merry little way."

Reeve leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "The file is in the case…I'll let you discover the job on your own. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me after you complete your reading."

Reno growled as he snatched the case from the desk and opened it and pulled the file. He then collapsed into the nearest chair and proceeded to look over the contents within the page. The mission statement was first including the terms then he finally came to the client.

" You want me to…protect her? She is hardly a delicate flower…I figured she could handle her own." Reno protested.

" She can but she isn't aware that she is in danger. I want to keep it that way." Reeve refuted.

" What happened?" The curiousity was just far too great to go unanswered for the young Turk. He had to know.

" I suppose you deserve that much, but don't go spouting off your mouth to anyone about this. About two months ago, she took a loan from a few shady people…a mob that is on the rise in power. Unfortunately she hasn't been able to repay them as quickly as they have liked so they have been tailing her every movement and their threatening to take over her business."

" But the 7th Heaven is hers..." Reno growled. He couldn't believe Lockheart would do something so reckless but it seemed fitting of her. Always willing to offer help to others but never willing to turn to others when she was in need. Not that he cared.

" Yes, but they are looking to make examples of anyone who makes a mockery of them…I repayed her debt…unknown to her of course but many of the members are still unsatisfied. So I need you to be her bodyguard. Follow her around but keep a low profile. Since you already frequent her bar it won't seem odd that you appear at her job but I know that you can be quite stealthy when need be. Watch her home, watch her house and anywhere else she goes. I don't want a hair on her head to be harmed…"

Reno just offered a nod of affirmation and smiled. " Hey I'm a Turk right? I get the job done and I'll make sure that her pretty little head remains that way. But why me? Why not one of her friends?"

Reeve sighed softly. " They don't know and I think she would be devastated if they knew. She thinks that I am unaware of it as well. It is for the sake of her pride. After all she is already scarred from Cloud's disappearing act. It's been about five months now and this is just another blow to her ego."

" The porcupine left her for that girl in pink?" Reno sounded stupefied at the notion. In his mind Tifa was certainly one of the most beautiful women he had laid eyes on in quite a while.

" Yes, after cloud managed to revive her from the lifestream he has spent every last waking second with her…I care for Tifa like a sister. I am just trying to look out for her, and you are my way to do that. Understand?" Reeve's voice sounded sincere but serious as he offered a cutting glance at the Turk.

"Crystal. Alright I'll be going. And I'll keep you updated on any ongoings… I'll take my tea to go now…"

" Funny Reno, real funny."

Reno stopped in mid step towards the door with case in hand as he offered a playful smile. " I know. He then let himself out and disappeared from Reeve's office.


	2. Scotch and a Scrap

I don't own anything of Square Enix or anything associated with FF7.

I've received some positive reviews so I guess I have a green light to continue my writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter…there's some action!

**Scotch and a Scrap**

" Bar bitch where is my vodka tonic?"

Tifa whirled around as she released an irritated growl at the customer who openly insulted her. Instead of reaching over the bar and throwing him off of his stool she forced a smile at him and reassured him with a sickingly sweet voice.

" Kill them with kindness Tifa," she murmured to herself as she fixed him his drink and slid it to him.

The crowd was loud and rowdy tonight, after all it was Friday. This was the norm for the bar known as 7th Heaven.

A few men afforded Tifa the pleasure of hearing their debate over the authenticity of her breasts and the size of them. Before she had time to offer a smart remark in their direction she was rushed by a group of her servers. Each had three pages of drink orders from their tables. The comments would have to wait.

After a few more hours of mixing and pouring drinks the night began to wind down, a few bar flies loitered around along with those who were too indisposed to navigate the streets with their own feet. At ten minutes to closing a small group of gentlemen entered the bar and took a seat right infront of Tifa. Those that were loitering about quickly paid their tabs and left. The look and demeanor of the men was not a welcoming one.

" Purple Haze."

" Chocolate Cake."

" Tuaca."

" Whiskey."

Those were the only words uttered from the expecting group.

She wasted no time in getting the drinks out to her customers. While she was distracted the men began to utter to themselves quietly before growing silent as the door to the bar opened once more.

Tifa called out, " It's about to be last call so it's your decision if you want to stay or not."

" Aww babe, that's no way to greet an old pal now is it?"

She now turned her full attention to the door and offered him a playful smile.

" No for you Reno it's not. I should have told you to fuck off and I should have just kicked you out. Have a seat. Scotch right?"

" You know it."

Reno took a seat to the left of the men at the bar and gave them a once over, they paid him no heed and went back to their grumblings until Tifa placed their drinks before them and smiled. " Alright it's three gil each. Last call."

" You're buying us these…it's on the house after all you do owe..." Before the man could finish Tifa slammed her fist on the bar and offered an intense stare.

" I already handled that business arrangement and that is between me and him. Now pay up."

" We don't take kindly to threats lady…" one of them said as they downed their shot and rose to their feet, reaching into their coat to retrieve something. Much to the man's surprise he felt something pressing against the back of his head. During the dispute Reno had gotten up and retrieved his 9 mm from his jacket. Unfortunately for this group, they weren't very observant of the fact that they were not alone with Tifa.

" Now now, let's pay the nice lady and leave, you were reaching for your wallet right?" Reno asked as he prodded the gun against the man's skull. " Right!" He demanded once again.

Tifa stood their frozen at the situation. One of the lackies reached into his wallet and provided her with the proper amount of money and motioned for his crew to follow. Reno watched as they left without a word before placing his steel back in its proper resting place.

" Reno…I….thank you….ummm…."

" Hey, I just don't like the idea of people getting alcohol for free when I have to pay." He teased while offering her a playful wink.

" Well this one is on the house…go lock the door and I'll pour it for you ok?"

" Anything for a…..glass of scotch."

He then rose from his seat to lock the door and turn off the open sign. As he did so he glanced out the window to see if they had really run off or if they were foolish enough to loiter around for her.

When Reno returned to his seat his reward was sitting there on the bartop. "Thanks Tifa."

" Uh huh," She called back to him as she fixed herself a mudslide. A few minutes later she joined him on the other side of the bar.

" So how have you been Reno?"

" Oh I'm good Tifa, the bills are paid and the stomach is full….now the bed feels a little empty…that needs some working on…." He then quirked a brow at her and grimaced as she smacked his arm.

Tifa had grown used to Reno's perverted sense of humor. While it could be annoying at times she knew he never meant any harm by it.

" Sorry can't help you there, even if you did save me. I guess I owe you some free scotch for a while huh?"

Reno laughed and offered her a smile. " As tempting as free scotch is Tifa…and trust me it is tempting. I will just let this glass settle the debt. Now what about you? What was all of that bullshit about back there?"

Tifa kicked her feet against the barstool before taking in a large mouthful of her alcoholic milk shake. Once she swallowed it down she looked at Reno sheepishly.

" I owed some money but I took care of it. They are just looking for someone to push around that's all. You know how lackeys are when they get their first taste of power…"

Reno placed a hand over his heart and twisted with pain. " That's cruel Tifa, real cruel."

She just giggled at his over dramatic poses and rolled her eyes. " Hey you're doing alright now days so that bullet shouldn't even be near you Reno." She teased.

" Aww thank's Tifa…you got any Kleenex back there so I can dry my eyes."

" Shut up and drink and get out." Tifa growled as she mentally scolded herself for offering Reno a compliment.

" Can't do that baby face…I noticed those guys were hanging around still so You won't be rid of me until I walk you home. " He then finished off his drink and stood. " Ready to go?"

Tifa took a few more sips from her mudslide and then took their glasses and washed them out. She then grabbed her coat and turned off the lights.

" Alright let's go…and before you can even ask….you can't come inside of my house."

Alright…..I want reviews, comments etc.


	3. Where Ever She Goes I Go

Hey I have a new chapter for all of you RenoxTifa fans…I think you'll find it funny! I used my famous Turk phrase…hehe. Enoy and be sure to comment at the end of the review ok?

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**Wbere Ever She Goes I Go**

"Remind me why we are here again?"

Reno shot his friend a cold glare as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. " I'm working…it's not like I want to be here Rude so can it ok?"

" But it's so fitting of you…" Rude retorted.

" I said can it or you'll find an EMR shoved so far up your…."

" Hi, can I get you boys anything?" Reno and Rude exchanged glances before they looked at the dragqueen that stood before them.

" What are the specials?" Rude mused.

" Oh honey, we've got 1 gil lemon drops, blue balls, white fires, cherry poppers, devils cake, tequila and ambrosia." Reno bit his lip to hold back the laughter as he heard the drink names.

" Two tequilas….no….make that four," Rude grumbled. Their server was definitely giving them a thorough exam.

" Be right back angels…." They both rolled their eyes into the back of their head.

" You owe me Reno. You're buying all of my lapdances when we go to the strip club."

" Ok let me go get that pretty boy then Rude, I had no idea that you had that kind of taste."

" I DO NOT!" Rude's voice elevated to a rather loud volume, which almost caused Tifa to turn her head. She was accompanied with Yuffie and a few of her co workers.

" Shut up!" Reno hissed " I promise I'll buy you lapdances for the strip club, just don't blow my cover."

" Such an awful job you have…no benefits." Rude taunted. " And the view….horrible."

" I know…I just can't work under such horrible conditions…" Reno joked back offering him a smile. " If all of my jobs came with a view like hers then I don't think I'd ever clock out…"

" OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Reno cringed in panic before he realized the owner of the voice from behind was not Tifa, nor was it Yuffie.

" Elena…Reno is on assignment." Rude then shot Reno a menacing glare as Elena slid into a seat next to them. Just as she did so their server reappeared with their shots. Rude gladly paid "her" and helped himself to the first shot.

" Sure you are…."

" I am!"

"Right…who's the target?"

Reno gestured to Tifa and smirked. " I'm her guardian angel…let's hope God doesn't find out and realize he's made a mistake. Unfortunately Tifa decided to come here for some entertainment and I have to go everywhere she goes so here I am, watching her…and getting phone numbers slipped into my pocket. The boys love me just as much as the ladies."

" This place is….flashy…." Rude murmured as he helped himself to the second shot of tequila. Reno's hand shot out for the third, making sure that he had some kind of alcohol in his system.

It was going to be a very long, but interesting evening….


	4. The Nightshift

Alright I don't own anything related to FF7. Please review after you read. I may revise my previous chapter. I know this one is short but it's good. Enjoy.

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**The Nightshift**

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" Good night Tifa!" Yuffie called out from her car. Tifa practicly stumbled up to her door step before nearly falling over as she waved to her friend.

" Nighty nigh!" She humored before blowing her a kiss. Tifa then fell inside of her house once she unlocked the door and started laughing uncontrollably as she picked herself up from the ground. She hadn't intended on drinking so much but for some reason a few memories had crept upon her festering mind so she made the wise decision to silence it with cheap lemon drop shots.

She hadn't even bothered to shut her door behind her, due to the fact that her attention span was a short one in her current state. She then drug herself onto the couch and collapsed upon it. Tears now stung at her eyes as she began to shake.

" Shit…" She gasped between sobs. Her fingers dug into the sofa cushion, her body desperate for some physical relief from the pain.

Reno had followed her home on his motorcycle, keeping a decent distance so that Yuffie would not take notice to her. He parked his bike three houses down from hers and waited for Yuffie to drive off. Once she was gone Reno approached Tifa's house and was surprised to find her door still open. He rested his frame against the side of the house and listened to the soft cries from within.

' What happened, she looked like she was having such a good time…' Reno mused to himself. He knew he couldn't just barge in on her, it would be too obvious so he sat and waited. Eventually her sobs quieted and then there was silence. Reno waited against the side of the house for a few more minutes before mustering up the courage to peak inside. There he saw Tifa Lockheart fast asleep on the couch. Reno brought a hand to his temple as he released a sigh. He couldn't just leave her like this so he stepped inside the house and shut the door behind him. His footfalls were silent, a byproduct of being a Turk. He now lingered above the raven haired beauty before kneeling down by her side. His cyan eyes drank up every inch of her sensuous body before his hand reached out, as if it had a mind of its own. His touch was innocent and well intended, his fingers lacing through her silk locks of hair. She was a masterpiece, and to see something so beautiful in such a saddened state almost sent Reno into a fit of rage. Why anyone had a desire to cause this beautiful creature sadness was beyond him.

' But this is just a job…' Reno reminded himself as he quickly withdrew his hand from her hair and sighed. He then took in a sharp breath and smiled. She smelled like Sweetpea and wildflowers, it suited her.

' This is just a job…right?' Reno now began to question himself as his cheeks turned scarlet. The realization that he was looking at her in a different demeanor was enough to cause him embarrassment. What if she woke up right then? How would he explain?

He shook such thoughts out of his head as he reached down and scooped up the woman in his arms. He then carried her into her bedroom and cautiously set her on the bed. His fingers sprung to life once more , carefully removing her shoes. He then pulled the sheets down and tucked her in and stood above her. Two of his fingers moved to his lips and pressed against them before moving to her cheek. He lightly traced them over her cheekbones before he quickly walked out of the house and shut the door behind him. There he took his usual perch, in the shadows of the porch, within an earshot incase he was needed.

" This job is getting complicated…"


	5. Fallen Hero

Alright guys I know it's been a while since I have posted but I like to have one or two chapters written up ahead of time before I post anything on here so know that I have about two chapters worth of stuff ready to post after this chapter. Yay…so I won't be leaving you guys in suspense for weeks and weeks. Enjoy the chapter because there is definitely some action going on in this one.

**Fallen Hero**

This had become routine now. Reno would always appear five minutes to closing time and wait for Tifa to lock up so that he could walk her home. Of course she protested the first few times this event occurred but now it had become so common place and habitual that she thought nothing of it. The seasons had changed from a cool autumn to a harsh winter. The streets and roads were covered with patches of ice and snow.

The pair walked together though the frigid night and exchanged a few casual jokes and caught up on the day's events. Tifa's business had picked up dramatically but that was to be expected. After all the holidays always brought stress to many and they turned to alcohol to alleviate such anxieties.

Once the pair reached her doorstep Reno pulled her in for a quick hug and offered her a lopsided grin.

" Can…" Tifa smirked and shook her head.

" No Reno. But I do appreciate the fact that you walk me home each night. It's very sweet of you. I don't see why you waste your time on someone like me though."

Reno's brow furrowed slightly as he shook his head at her. " Tifa, ever thought that maybe I wasn't doing it for you? Ever thought that I may just enjoy your company. I know it's hard to believe that it isn't for the scotch but I could care less about the drink. You're completely different then I had you made out to be. Now that isn't a bad thing, in fact I think that may be why I like to hang around you. I don't get you, but I want to…"

" Reno ummm…"

" Hey don't say anything, just a smile will do ok?" He then playfully placed his fingers on the sides of her mouth and pulled. She laughed at his antic and smiled under her own will.

" There we go…see you later…now get in there before you become anymore nippy…." He then let his eyes gesture to her chest before he turned and fled.

" You fucking pervert!"

" You know it." Reno called out to her as he disappeared into the night.

Reno pretended to make a block before appearing near Tifa's house again. He then climbed a near by tree and waited to see if trouble would appear tonight.

It didn't take long. An hour later two men appeared before Tifa's house. One held a baseball bat while the other toyed with some wire between his fingers. Reno wasted no time as he leapt from the tree and landed silently upon the ground. He then sprung forward and pounced upon the man with the wire and proceeded to punch him in the jaw.

" What, you were gonna trash a house and not invite me? Now that's just rude you sneaky son of a …" Reno then ceased his actions and leapt off the man just in time to dodge the attack of the man with the bat.

" I'm sorry but I don't do threesomes. Especially when you're that ugly." The henchmen growled and both ran towards him simultaneously.

" Loud mouthed punk!" The bat boy shouted as he swung it over head. He then struck the metal into Reno's midsection, bringing the red head to his knees.

" What…is that it?" He mused with a winded voice. He then sprung to life and delivered a spinning floor kick to the bat boy, knocking him onto the ground. Once he was on Reno's level he grabbed a fist full of the stranger's hair and slammed the man's head onto the pavement, rendering him unconscious. That just left the wireman.

Reno gently pushed himself from the ground and stumbled onto his feet.

" Just you and me now buddy. You wanna leave?" Reno cracked his knuckles casually and rolled his neck.

" Hell no."

Reno then reached into his coat and pulled out his EMR and chuckled. " Suit yourself…" He then sprang forward and swung the weapon at his opponent and missed. Unfortunately for Reno, his footing failed him when he stepped onto a patch of black ice and slipped. His head impacted violently with the cement side walk. Blood began to trickle.

At this time Tifa had emerged from her house due to the sound of all of the commotion. She quickly ran towards the man and delivered a series of violent blows until she finally broke his jaw, nose, gave him a black eye and a few cracked ribs. Once she was sure he was down for the count she turned towards Reno and gasped in horror.

" What happened!"

" Hey babe…how about you let me inside…"

" Ok…" She whispered as she tried to hold back her tears at the sight of his spilled blood. She then slowly eased him up and shifted his weight onto her shoulder as they walked into her house and closed the door. Once inside she rested him on her floor and hurried into the bedroom. There she retrieved several material and some medical supplies.

First she cast slow on Reno to ease the speed of his bleeding. She then cast cure 3, and haste to increase the rate of his healing.

Reno grimaced in pain once the spell took its effect. Once it was done she opened her medical kit and retrieved some surgical thread and a needle.

" Umm Reno…I don't have anything that can dull the pain and I'm sure you have a concussion so I can't cast sleep….this is going to hurt."

" Aww Tifa….I can take it…"

That's when she noticed. Reno was shivering. When he fell, he fell into a pile of ice and snow which had soaked his clothing to the bone.

" Let's get you undressed…"

" Best thing I've heard all day babe…"

" I'd smack you right now, but you're hurt so I'll save it for later."

"I like the pain…"

" Oh shut up this is serious!"

"Yeah I know…I'm trying to make it easier…"

Reno then fumbled with the buttons of his coat and weakly slid it down. His vision blurred for a moment, no doubt from the loss of blood.

" Tifa….don't let me black out…"

" I won't, just keep on talking to me ok?" She then helped him shimmy out of his coat and aided him in removing his Turk jacket.

" I think it's time for something new to wear isn't it?"

" No…I'm always working so I wear it…" Reno mumbled as he struggled to keep his eyes in focus.

She then unzipped his white shirt and became silent. Her face became fevered at the sight of his chest. Granted there were a few scars from bullet holes it was otherwise perfected. He as lean but well defined. His skin the color of cream. She swallowed hard as she forced her eyes to wander upwards to his.

" Why so quiet babe?" he teased playfully. " I think you like what you see…"

" I don't I mean it's not bad but I mean…wait I mean….oh never mind." She then removed his shoes and socks before going for his belt buckle.

' Down boy….' Reno scolded himself as he bit his lip to bring the focus off of her actions. He knew she was doing this for noble intentions and not perverse ones.

Reno blushed slightly once he was stripped down to his boxers and sighed softly. He knew that stitches would be next.

Tifa then left his side with his dirty clothes in hand and returned with a heavy quilt. She then wrapped it around Reno's shaking body and smiled.

" Didn't know Turks could get hurt…" Tifa mused as she motioned for Reno to lie stomach down on the couch. Reno did as he was instructed and looked back at Tifa who was now straddling his backside so that she could get to the wound.

" Bite the pillow if it hurts…"

" Now who's being dirty Tifa…besides that's my line. "

She playfully slapped his ass which caused him to groan softly . Tifa then set to work, cleaning the wound upon his head first. He did have to admit that it stung quite a bit but the pain was quite surprising when the needle first impacted his tender flesh. He did what Tifa had told him, he bit the pillow.

When it was all said and done Tifa gently rubbed Reno's back before dismounting. After placing everything back in it's proper place she sat down in a chair next to him and smiled. Reno tried to give her a smile but he only managed to smirk.

" Thank you Reno…those guys were following us weren't they…"

Reno lied and agreed with her statement. He could never let her know why he had been there.

" Yeah babe…I pretended to walk around the block and then I hid and waited. If it hadn't been for that damn ice…"

" Hey I appreciate it Reno…"

" Anytime Tifa…" He then smiled to her and opened the quilt around his body. " Come join me…I won't bite…"

" I dunno Reno…"

" Come on please? I'm harmless unless you want me to be besides I'm still cold and some body heat could do me some good."

" Fine…try anything and….."

" I know I know you'll beat them off."

Alright...read and review...comments are welcome!


	6. Breakfast With The Babe

Hello again. As always I don't own any of Square Enix/Soft's property or intellectual property so please don't sue. After all that would just crush my future dreams of becoming an attorney.

This chapter is quite fun.

THIS CHAPTER IS NOT FOR CHILDREN! IT HAS AHINT OF LIME ZEST IN IT IF YOU GET MY DRIFT. NO KIDS. GET OUT NOW IF YOU ARE. You shouldn't be reading this fic anyway if you're under age. I'll give a recap next chapter for those who are my underagers that decide to actually turn away. Otherwise…you have been warned.

Enjoy.

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" Sorry I forgot you were here for a second, that explains why I'm so warm." She didn't even offer protest when Reno forced her back down.

" Aww babe, that really hurts my feelings you know? You're not a very good nurse, you were supposed to make sure that I stayed awake because of my concussion but you fell asleep on me….literally. I turned on the tv to keep me occupied. "

" I'm sorry I guess I was really tired. I tried to stay awake but whenever I am really comfortable I just fall asleep right away." The moment she finished her statement she wished she could take it back. Her words were encouragement to the red head's ears.

Before Reno could return Tifa twisted around in his lap and began to survey his wounds and their progress. Nothing appeared broken or infected, which was most certainly encouraging.

As Tifa continued her inspection, Reno did a little surveying of his own. Her bountiful breasts were almost touching his bare chest. He found himself wondering how supple they were. The position Tifa was currently in was not helping his perverse mind either. She was straddling his hips.

" There all done….you might want to go take a shower Reno. I cleaned you up the best that I could but there is still a lot of blood matted into your hair.

' A cold shower…' Reno thought to himself as he nodded to her suggestion. Tifa abandoned Reno's warm form and gestured to a doorway on her left. " Shower and whatever you need is in there. Towels are in the cabinet above the toilet. While you're in there I'll cook breakfast.

Reno let the quilt fall to the couch as he stood and smiled to her, " Thanks babe."

He then marched towards the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Tifa wasted no time in getting started with breakfast. She took out five eggs, cheese and some bacon before retrieving her skillets . Once the fire was going beneath them she cracked an egg and allowed it to fall onto the heated metal. Once the sunny side up egg was going she grabbed several strips of bacon and laid them onto the neighboring pan.

As Tifa continued to cook Reno got the shower going. The hot spray felt like heaven until it connected with his raw scalp. That sensation was similar to needles constantly scraping against one's skin. He took some of Tifa's shampoo and brought it to his nose. It smelled of daisies.

'How fitting….' He then smiled as he lathered the flowery shampoo through his hair without a second thought. The smile that had blossomed on his face disappeared when he rinsed it out. His stitches were most certainly sensitive. Red trickled down the drain along with the soap suds as he worked diligently to remove the last of the blood. He then conditioned with a daisy scented conditioner and rinsed.

Eyes wandered around the white shower until they locked upon a rose scented body wash. Reluctantly he lathered his hands with it and began to rub the soap over his lean arms. As he did so he allowed his mind to wander to other things at hand, to Tifa. As much as he resisted Reno couldn't help but picture her in his arms, his hands roaming over her. Pale blue eyes fell shut as he glided his soapy hands over his toned stomach. A small moan of pleasure escaped him without hesitation as the visions became more vivid.

The very idea of Tifa's pert breasts in is rough hands caused his body to stir. His cheeks flushed as he looked downwards to his member and blushed.

" Shit I am a perv…" He uttered softly as he allowed his soapy hands to wash his backside before moving to his legs. Once he reached his thighs he gave into temptation and satisfied his needs.

After several moments of toying with himself he managed to bring himself over the edge, biting into his lip to keep quiet. The last thing he needed was for Tifa to know of his deed. Just as he finished Tifa's chipper voice could be heard from the other room. " Breakfast is ready!"

Reno rinsed off one more time before shaking his head. " Girl has got a sense of timing…."

After a few minutes Reno emerged from the bathroom wrapped only in a blue towel. Tifa offered him a warm smile as she gestured to the table. Reno felt awkward as he took his seat. How he longed for some clothing but he figured they were still rather dirty. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that Tifa was studying his form with a sense of hunger.

Reno waited for Tifa to sit down before he stuffed his face. It felt like he hadn't eaten in days.

" While you were in the shower I called Rude…told him what happened. He said he was coming over with a change of clothes for you."

" How did you end up with his number?" Reno quirked a brow as he bit into a piece of bacon.

"I called Reeve and he gave it to me….did you have a nice shower?"

Reno stopped mid chew and thought for a second before giving her an affirmative nod.

" I smell like a bed of roses now…"

Tifa laughed before taking a sip of OJ. " Sorry I forgot that I only have girly stuff for you to use."

" It's nice though…I always wondered why you smelled so good." Reno the offered her a playful glance before stabbing his fork at a few eggs. Tifa fumbled at the comment and quietly thanked him.

The rest of breakfast was willed with idle small talk Once the pair had finished Tifa cleared the table and washed the dishes while Reno waited around for Rude.

Just as Tifa finished the dishes a knock could be heard at the door. Reno got up and flung it open to reveal a stupefied Rude.

" Do you always greet company looking like that?" Rude then gestured to the towel.

" Yeah….I like to let the neighbors get an eye full."

" Right….clothes?" Rude offered a plastic bag which held his wardrobe for the day.

" Thanks…partner…did you spend much time picking out what outfit brought the blue out in my eyes." Reno taunted as he took the bag.

" Shut up….hello Tifa!" Rude waved to Tifa who gestured for him to come in and have a seat.

" Right…well I'll go get changed now…unless you like me in the towel….Tifa?"

Tifa blushed a it before she pointed to the bathroom. " Put some clothes on!"

Reno headed towards the bathroom and stopped in the doorway and removed his towel. " Gaahhh! Wait until you're in there and the door is closed!" Tifa's cheeks were now burning as the vision of Reno's muscular ass engraved itself in her brain.

Reno cackled and stepped in, slamming the door behind him.

As Reno got changed Rude collapsed onto Tifa's couch and removed his sunglasses. " Sorry he's such an ass…"

" Reno is Reno…." Tifa offered as she sat in a chair across from him. " Thanks again for bringing his clothes…the ones he has right now are really bloody…"

" What happened?" Rude seemed rather serious all of the sudden.

" Some thugs followed us when he walked me home. Somehow I didn't notice but he did so he stuck around after I went inside the house and then all hell broke loose. He was doing ok but he slipped on the ice patch outside and cracked his skull against it. I came out and finished off the baddies and brought him inside he had a concussion so I couldn't let him go to sleep after I tended to him so he stayed and watched tv."

Rude just nodded and sighed

" I feel awful…he got hurt and it's my fault."

" Don't say things like that….Turks and Ex Turks don't take to pity. He actually cares about you….I know that sounds odd. He watches out for those that he cares for. He's gotten my back plenty of times along with Elena and Tseng…it wasn't because he was ordered to either. He went against orders on all of those occasions."

Reno then emerged from the bathroom and smirked at Rude. " Aww buddy you shouldn't have…I feel stylish." Reno then did a twirl and smirked. He was now dressed in a pair of baggy blue jeans and a hunter green sweater that was at least one size too big. He also wore a pair of blue and green sneakers.

" It was the first thing I saw!" Rude defended.

" Psshhhh whatever….Tifa didn't Rude do a good job. I look good right?"

Tifa giggled and nodded. Rude's jaw just dropped in defeat. He was lost for words.

" I better get goin'" Reno then slauntered over to Tifa and kissed her forehead. " Thanks for the cuddle and the care…"

He then motioned for Rude to follow him as he headed for the door.

" Oh….ummm….Reno?"

Reno stopped and turned. Tifa threw a pile of bloodied clothes at him and smirked.

"Anytime…and thanks for having my back." Reno just nodded and headed out of the house, Rude hot in pursuit still trying to plead his case that he didn't take time to think about Reno's attire.

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Alright you guys read….now review! The next chapter is going to be very important.


	7. Revelations Through Sorrow

**Jade: This chapter is rather important…I hope you all find it interesting. Please read and review!**

**Revelations Through Sorrow**

Tifa seemed rather depressed today, or so Reno believed. He watched her mope around the bar and perform her job half heartedly. She didn't even have enough fight in her to bark back at the womanizing customers.

They continued to harass her until Reno shot them a deadly glare. They silenced themselves and finished off their drinks before leaving. It was only 10 pm and Reno was now the only person in the bar. Without saying a word Reno rose from his usual stool and locked the door and flipped the sign to close.

" What do you think you're doing?" Tifa mumbled.

" You're leaving, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you but I do know when you don't want to be here…and I think you're right. So get out I'll even help you clean up the store but I won't let you argue with me. Got it?"

Tifa just nodded her head and sighed as she loaded up the dish washer with dirty glasses. Reno put all the chairs on top of the tables and began to sweep for her. After a few more tasks the pair were ready to go.

The walk home was quiet and uncomfortable. Reno tried to lighten the mood with a few jokes but he soon gave up on that fight, she simply wasn't receptive.

Once they reached Tifa's porch Reno pulled her into a firm hug and sighed. " Look I don't know what the hell happened or didn't happen but I'm here for you. I know I don't look like much of a listener but for you I'd do whatever you need."

Tifa pulled back a little bit and offered him a quizzical look. She was used to Reno's kindness but this was truly a turn of events.

" Umm…thanks…" She then hugged him one more time before slipping away into her house. Once the door was shut Reno disappeared into the shadows of Tifa's porch.

Instead of being a dull and uneventful night, Reno found himself leaving her house. Why? Because an hour after he escorted her she left, with a single white rose in hand. She was bundled up in a black coat and snow cap as well as a pair of boots. Reno just had a simple leather trench coat over his Turk suit. It was damn cold but he didn't care, he couldn't let someone like Tifa wander around the streets at this hour. The tricky part though was not being caught, he had to follow her closely without being detected.

They walked for several blocks before yielding in front of a cemetery.

" What the hell are we doing here?" Reno murmured softly as he watched her enter. Reno trailed behind her, ducking behind tombstones so that he could go undetected. ' Maybe there is a memorial here to Aeries or something,'' Reno thought to himself.

Tifa stopped in front of a small headstone and knelt down to the ground as she brushed off the snow and ice from the engraved letters.

" Hey there….I'm sorry I'm late." Tifa muttered softly. "It's just hard….ya know? I mean I know I'd promise that I would be ok after six months…but…today…it hurts so much!" Tears now slid down her pinkened cheeks as she clenched her fist around the rose. She then dropped the rose to the ground and gasped as if she were choking on her own tears. Then silence….for several moments there was nothing but silence. Reno was afraid to even breathe. He had never seen someone in so much pain. ' Who is she crying for?' He wondered as he moved closer to her, still remaining out of sight.

" Why did you do it!" She finally exclaimed. " I loved you! We all loved you! We were all here for you but it wasn't enough…I needed you…we needed you. I miss you and sometimes it is so hard to just make it though the day. I want to hate you for doing something so selfish…for ending your life…for not loving yourself and seeing that others loved you but damn it I can't. It's not the same…it'll never be the same…everyone is so fucked up now…" She was now practically screaming as the tears came at a constant rate now.

" I'm so alone…." She then threw her arms around the headstone and sobbed madly.

Reno felt a stinging sensation in his own eyes, for some reason he was moved that whoever she wept for was cared for so deeply by her. Reno didn't care anymore. She needed someone, his cover could be blown for all he fucking cared. He'd answer any questions she had later but right now she needed someone.

"Tifa…" Reno whispered as he stood from his kneeling position and hurried towards her. He then threw his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair. " Shhh….it's ok….why didn't you say something….damn it Tifa you're not alone, and you're not fucked up. Please just don't….don't….don't cry anymore ok?" Reno's voice was straining slightly to keep the emotion from his voice.

" Reno? Oh Reno…." Tifa then wept into his chest and shook violently for a few minutes for calming down.

" I just don't understand why….and it hurts….I feel like I failed!" Reno shook his head and sighed softly. " Tifa…." His eyes then widened as he observed the name on the headstone. 'In Loving Memory Of A Hero To Us All'. " Why didn't you tell me?" Reno's voice was gentle and genuine.

" Because….I didn't think you cared…or anyone for that matter…."Tifa then shook her head at herself and sighed as she calmed herself and stopped her tears. on…let's get out of here." Reno then scooped her up and carried her back to her house. She didn't protest one bit , she was physically and emotionally exhausted.

" Reno….thank you…" Reno smirked at her and shook his head. " I think you've already said that line to me once tonight. He then took her house keys from her hand and unlocked the door and stepped through. He gently set her on the couch and disappeared into her kitchen. The sound of a steaming kettle could be heard. A few minutes later he reappeared with two cups of hot cocoa and handed her one. She graciously accepted.. Once he shed his coat he took a seat down beside her and smiled.

" Sorry but you would have gotten sick if I had let you stay out there any longer…I'm still here though if you want to talk. For some reason I don't think that it is wise for me to leave you alone right now."

Tifa just nodded and sighed as she removed her coat, hat and boots before moving to her fireplace. She then cast a simple fire spell from her material and watched the logs burn nicely before returning to her seat.

" It happened six months ago…are you sure you want to hear?" Tifa then quirked a brow at her friend.

"Yep."

"Ok….well it actually started a year ago and ended six months ago. Somehow Aeries had come back….but when she came back she was very sick. Cloud spent every waking moment by her side but it simply was not enough….we lost her again. Cloud laid her to rest once again at the bottom of the lake and tried to recover from his loss…but the thought of losing her twice was too much. Cloud started seeing and hearing things. He said that he saw Aeries, and that she haunted him in his dreams. He's always blamed himself but it started to really take a toll. He didn't go out anymore. He didn't spar, he didn't eat much either. He became very thin and weak but he would just ignore our interventions. One day I walked in on him cutting himself. He agreed to go for help and he checked into a hospital. When he was there he seemed to be getting better. They kept him on medication and they released him when they thought he was ready….unfortunately that wouldn't last. One night Cloud got really bad. I heard him crying in his room. I knew he hadn't been taking his medicine but what he told me…." She then shook her head as the memory popped into her head.

"Aeries said that I don't deserve to take the medicine, she says that I deserve to suffer every single second of the day…and the told me that if I take the medicine that I'll die because she poisoned it." Tifa sighed quietly as she looked to Reno, whose expression was stoic.

" When he said that I just went numb. All hope of my friend getting better just became more and more distant. The days where we joked with one another were long gone. I was lucky to see him from his room twice a week….then came that day…I knocked on the door…he had been in there a really long time….and he wasn't answering so I kicked down the door. He was in the bathtub naked…but I didn't see him at first. There was just a pool of cloudy red water in the bath tub. He had slit his wrists and drowned himself . He even positioned himself the way he positioned Aeries when he placed her to rest in the water….so….that was it. They said he had been dead for thirty minutes….the paramedics that is. My friends came to the funeral but none of them stayed around for very long afterwards. None of us handled it well…but I guess that I took it the hardest."

"Tifa….I'm so sorry….I didn't know…I'm here now though….so please let me support you ok? I won't go away."

" Yeah, ok Reno…" She then fell asleep…her body was simply put to its limit.

**Jade: Sorry for the depressing chapter but it was necessary…Please review.**


	8. Reports and Recollections

**Jade: This chapter….is interesting….It gives some insight to Reno. Oh yeah I don't own the rights to Square Enix's stories, games etc. I wrote a completed oneshot fic called How To Make a Turk Talk…you should go read it and review it. Enjoy the chapter…the updates will be coming faster since I had a spark of creativity last night. I knocked a few chapters out of the way….**

**Reports and Recollections**

" Can I help you?"

" Reeve…I have an appointment to see Reeve."

The receptionist frowned at the man for a moment before pressing the intercom button. " Mr. Reeve…a Mr…."

" Reno." The red head offered.

" A Mr. Reno is here to see you."

" Send him in." The voice replied through the intercom. Reno didn't even wait for permission from the woman to enter the office. Once inside he shut the door and took a seat.

" Glad to see you….got a report for me?" Reeve inquired.

Reno sighed as he propped his feet on Reeve's desk, despite his disapproving look.

" Well….I don't like this one bit…it's suddenly gotten too quiet."

" What do you mean Reno?" Reeve inquired as he rested against the back of his chair and took a sip of coffee.

" When I first took this job I was encountering lackeys right and left but now I don't even see them in her bar or circling her block…I think something big is going to happen Reeve…I just have a bad feeling."

Reeve sighed and nodded.

" Why did you lie?" Reno suddenly asked.

" About?"

" Don't play stupid with me Reeve!" Reno's voice seeped with anger. " Why didn't you tell me that porcupine killed himself!"

"Did Tifa tell you?"

" No…I was just doing my job…Tifa just so happened to go to the cemetery last night." Reno snapped.

" No one knows except for those of us that fought against Sephiroth…"

" And why is that?" His voice held a hint of malice in it.

" The world can't handle the idea of losing a hero…what they don't know won't kill them."

" People aren't stupid Reeve…"

" Yes, but Cloud is rarely stationary in a town for long so whenever someone asks we tell them a town and they buy it. If they can't find him there then they assume that they just missed him. The idea of a hero, falling from grace like that just isn't good for the morale of the people right now…in a few more months we'll say that Cloud was killed in some sort or accident at sea or something…where a body can never be recovered."

" But the Tombstone…." Reno pointed out. " The tombstone that Tifa visisted…"

Reeve cut him off. " Is not named and shall remain that way until we come up with a decent story for Cloud's loss."

Reno slowly stood from his chair and began to pace the room in a desperate attempt to calm his temper. He could usually maintain a business like edge but Reeve's care free attitude about this situation simply drove him over the edge.

" What about Tifa?" Reno hissed.

" What of her?"

" Did any of you think about what this was doing to her? Because of the lies…she has no true closure. It hurts her to hear people ask about him and how he is doing or where he is. Hell she still gets business calls from people wanting him to deliver something. For fuck's sake…end it already…you want to lie to the masses fine….but do it quickly. I've never seen someone so hurt and alone…you guys left her after what had happened. You assumed she would be ok. She's not. She puts on this mask….this phony annoying mask…where she smiles at you…but her eyes look dead Reeve."

" Interesting…" Reeve commented.

" What!" Reno demanded, " I've had enough…what's so fucking interesting!"

" The way you care for her, observe her and protect her…you don't even care about the payment now do you?"

" That's none of your fuckin' business!" Reno retorted.

" I think it is….after all I employed you."

" I honestly don't know Reeve. I'm trying to figure that out…but I do know that I would do anything to protect her though…and that's all that should concern you. Like I said though…I've got a bad feeling. I'll be in touch."

Reno then headed for the door. Reeve called him back but Reno simply ignored him as he escorted himself out of the building.

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" Reno…get your ass back into this house right now!" His blue eyes shifted back towards patio of the project housing that he called home.

She said she would come for me today…she said this was only temporary. He simply ignored the man's command as he sat down upon the curb of the street and waited. The day turned into evening and evening turned into the early morning. She had abandoned him for good. Defeated Reno retreated back to the apartment and pried the door open.

" You think you can come into this house anytime you want, you little fuckin' punk?" A voice snarled from the other side.

The door was then flung open, Reno drug inside. The young boy was thrown against the wall, a fist engaged his stomach. He was only 14. He coughed violently as the man punched him in the jaw, then again in the eye before tossing him into the book case. Several of the other foster children had awoken from their beds and watched in silent horror at the scene that unfolded. Their female care taker was now awake but said nothing as her husband continued to make an example of the young spit fire.

" Once he was done he drug Reno outside by the hair and chuckled. " Your Ma ain't comin' back for ya…and your daddy loves dope too much to even give a damn about you….you're stuck here…you're nothin' but trash…"

Reno awoke with a start. His heart raced as he panted softly. Hands rose to his face before he refocused himself upon reality. He hadn't had that dream in a while. No, he hadn't recalled that memory in a while.

" She isn't….that different from me…both of us abandoned…and alone…" He whispered softly to himself before discarding the sheets from his body. He then rose from the bed and threw on his suit before heading out the door for another night of work.

" Fuckin' memories…"

**Jade: Alright…you read it now review it!**


	9. Reno Relates

**Jade: Ok this should be one of the last melancholy chapters that I write. It is necessary once again and it gives quite an insight to Reno. I think y'all will thoroughly enjoy it. Please review it after you finish reading it because I really want feed back on this chapter. The action is coming I promise you that. I already started writing the next few chapters…oh it shall be interesting…**

**Reno Relates**

" Tifa…." Reno cooed. Once again he found himself over at her place, trying to ensure that she was taking care of herself. Tifa never seemed to have recovered from her cemetary visit, which had been two weeks ago. Reno simply couldn't allow it to continue any longer; he had to intervene.

She simply turned away from his pleading gaze.

" Come on don't be that way…you gotta eat." He then offered a bowl of soup to her and offered a playful grin. " Come on...it's home made chicken noodle for crying out loud!"

Tifa shook her head as she turned to him once again. " Just go, ok? I don't want your fucking pity or need it. I've done just fine without it. I don't need you to baby me either. I can take care of myself!"

Reno's brows furrowed as he bit his lip. It took every ounce of self restraint to tame the language that threatened to erupt from his lips. He quietly set down the bowl of soup and turned her body to face him.

" Tifa…" He growled dangerously, " I don't fucking pity anyone…got it? And I certainly don't pity you. In fact, excuse me for saying this, but those tears that your crying are a complete waste of time. Do you think that you're the only one that has ever been hurt? How about abandoned? I hate to break it to you babe but get a grip." He exhaled slowly once he finished speaking.

Silence filled the air for a moment which caused Reno to shift with discomfort. He then watched her hand twitch.

' Shit…she's gonna hit me'

" Like you can understand…" Tifa hissed back after a few minutes.

" I understand in more ways then you know…"

" Whatever Reno…"

" You know what, if you want to starve yourself and waste away like he did then go right ahead. I've tried for days to feed you and make sure that you're ok. It hurts me every fucking day to see you like this….so I think I'll go…" With that, Reno rose from his seat and grabbed his suit jacket. A slender hand wrapped around his wrist. His eyes shifted back to meet her waterlogged ones.

" I'm so sorry…" She then released him from her grip and picked up the soup bowl. For the first time in days she ate. Reno sat down beside her once again after dropping his coat to the ground.

" I'm sorry for being harsh but kindness didn't seem to work…please don't be mad." His voice was kind and gentle. His usual playful edge was now replaced by an air of sincerity.

" I'm not…but I still feel as if nobody could ever understand…"

" Tifa…I….I'll tell you this because you trusted me with the truth about Cloud. Please do not ever repeat this…to anyone. I'm not trying to steal your thunder or minimize your situation…I just want you to see that I can relate ok?"

Tifa offered a quizzical look before nodding her head.

" Once upon a time…there was this kid. This really lively kid. He loved his parents very much. They didn't have much when it came to money….but they had each other. He didn't really act up or do anything to upset them, because he didn't want to cause them anymore trouble then they already had. They owed a lot of money to a lot of people…not just rent money and bills…but to other types of people. Bad people…It started to take a toll…"

" His….no….my mother began to slip away in the middle of the night and would come back in just as I was going to school. My dad…he drank a lot. That was his escape…so I took care of myself…I was only about 7 at the time. The bills got paid somehow but my dad had other problems…it started out with gambling then it trickled down the line into drugs. He smoked pot at first…then he got into other things…pretty soon he became addicted to heroin. My lunch money went to heroin….along with food for the house and anything that would make our lives manageable. Mom started staying away for longer periods of time…but still somehow the mortgage got paid…and then one day…"

Reno closed his eyes, allowing the images to appear before he continued to speak.

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" Don't come into this fuckin' house again you God damned hooker!" Reno's eyes shifted from his father to his mother who was now collapsed upon the floor, clutching her jaw. The young boy's eyes began to water as he watched his mother stagger up. " You didn't complain when it paid the rent…now did you? Or how about the bills you, sorry son of a bitch! Like your so fuckin' righteous….just go stick that fuckin' needle in your arm…I hope you overdose!" The woman screamed before snatching Reno's hand into hers. With that the pair left.

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" Fuck you both!... Were the last words my old man had ever said to me and that was the last time I ever saw him. I was about ten then…" Reno then turned his gaze to Tifa who shifted uncomfortably. She then gave an encouraging nod so he continued.

" Another year went by and we fought to make ends meet…mom tried to keep a decent job but she couldn't pay the bills…so off into the night she went. Slowly but surely she began to slip too. First the alcohol, then she would come home beaten up…but the worst was when I came home one day…she had taken acid. She hit me and screamed at me…she didn't even recognize her own kid… a few days later she took me to this foster home and promised she would be back after she got cleaned up and earned some money...by my next birthday at the latest…a year went by…no mom….she never came back."

Reno paused as he took a sip from her water glass before moving on.

"The foster home was definitely not a picnic…the care takers were in it for the paycheck. There were seven of us kids…and they fed us enough so we could stay alive. They whipped us and hit us. If we were bad they kicked us out of the house for the night. Christmases and birthdays went unnoticed… CPS couldn't take us from them…no matter how many times teachers up at the schools called and complained. I started doing what I had to in order to survive…I pick pocketed kids at school so I could have lunch because I was still too young to work back then. I got into a lot of fights because I dressed in hand me downs and I didn't live in the right neighborhood or know the right people…kids are real fuckin' cruel. I busted my ass in school…and despite what people think, I got good grades. Got a job as a delivery boy…paid shitty wages but anything to get me out of that house for any period of time was great."

" How did you get into the Turks?" Tifa whispered, almost afraid to ask such a question.

" I was walking home from work one night when this gang decided to pick a fight with me. I didn't have any cash on me since I was poor as church but they wouldn't accept that as an answer. So I tried to leave and they started attacking. When the dust cleared I was still standing and all five of them were unconscious. Tseng had been walking down the same road and saw what had happened. I was about 17 then…he recruited me right on the spot. I knew of the Turks and I knew they were a far cry from saints but anything to get my from the hell hole known as home was good. Free room and board….guarunteed food. Any poor kid would sign up for something like that. Plus it was a chance to get some training and climb the ladder…I'm not proud of my choice Tifa…but I did what I had to."

Reno then hesitated before offering her a weak smile.

" I know my hands aren't clean by any means…but I understand you more than you think…I just wanted to let you know that you weren't the only person that was forgotten about or pushed to the side…but I made it…and you will too. The only difference between us right now is that you have someone that is here for you right now…and is willing to sit though the tears and the anger just to see you smile again. Ok?"

Tifa bit her lip and nodded her head slowly. A few tears trickled down from the corners of her eyes.

" It's ok to cry Tifa…" Reno then moved his hands and cradled her face while his thumbs smeared the salty liquid into her cheeks. His fingers gently traced over her jaw line before gently caressing her lips. Her eyes widened slightly at his affectionate gesture, but she failed to remove herself from the situation. In a desperate attempt to salvage the akward situation, Reno pulled Tifa against his chest and cradled her.

" Reno?"

He grimaced, waiting for her to tell him to leave her be, or to scold him for his actions. He then scolded himself for almost capitalizing on her in one of her most vulnerable states. If it had been any other woman it would have been acceptable but for some reason Reno held far too much respect for her to seize the moment.

"Yeah…" He responded with a hint of hesitation.

" I'm glad I have someone that understands…"

" Glad to be here for you."


	10. Something Beautiful

**Jade: Yep a new chapter…and I really like this one…it's much more light hearted. BTW sorry for all of you Cloud fans out there…I hope you like this fun little chapter...be sure to review.**

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**Something Beautiful**

A few weeks had passed since had passed since Reno and Tifa's emotional exchange. Time seemed to pass by slowly but Tifa appeared to show progress, she was almost back to her usual chipper self. Reno always stayed by her side since that faithful night. He would often cook meals for her or just come to crash at her house. The red head was most certainly grateful for her new found trust in him. It cut his cold nights on the porch in half, he could now watch her with a more secure eye.

The evening had begun like any other for Tifa. Her bar had quite a crowd gathered in it. The roar of drunken patrons overpowered the juke box that blared on full volume in the corner. A few fights broke out but they were easily put to rest by her or another customer. As the night wound itself down her customers trickled out onto the street to try and find a place to sober. Just as she moved from the bar to flip her open sign over Reno appeared in the doorway. She smirked at him and flung it open.

" Hey there stranger." He mused rather playfully. Tifa stepped aside as he entered the bar and immediately went to work, helping her clean the tables and flip the chairs onto the table tops. Once it was all said and done Reno turned to her and gave her a questioning look.

" Can I ask a favor?"

Tifa shrugged her shoulders before offering him a smile. "Depends on the favor Reno."

" It's gonna sound stupid…" His voice held a hint of embarrassment as he scuffed his shoe against the floor and shifted his weight with discomfort.

" Come on…" Tifa mused.

" Can we….can we spar?"

Tifa's eye brows arched with surprise.

" What, seriously?"

Reno smiled at her as he removed his jacket and unbuttoned a few of his collar buttons on his white dress shirt.

" Yeah…seriously…I promise, just a friendly spar…nothing... serious... But I can understand if you don't want to...after all I am the best. There is no way you would stand a chance against me."

Tifa scowled at him as she reached into her back pocket and retrieved a pair of black leather gloves. After carefully slipping them on and tweaking their fit she walked over to a few tables and pushed them out of the way to offer more room.

Reno assisted her in rearranging the furniture before taking his ready stance. Once Tifa properly positioned herself she nodded her head. With the blink of an eye the red head was within a foot of her proximity with his fist raised. She quickly flipped backwards and rested in a crouching position. A foot then swung outwards from her body, aiming at his ankles. Reno smirked at her tatic as he placed a single hand upon the floor and tilted his body towards the sky. His blue eyes focused upon her appendage and waited until her body was out of his range before setting himself upright once more.

She doubled back and laughed. " What are you a break dancer?"

"Whatever get's the job done." Reno commented as he ran at her again. Tifa ran forward as well and extended her hand towards Reno's shirt. As she grabbed a handful of fabric she shifted her weight so that she could throw his body against the hardwood floor. Much to her dismay Reno decided to close the space between them by wrapping his arms around her. He then purposely fell forwards, landing atop the girl before scrambling up. Tifa coughed for a moment before leaping back into action.

Reno had failed to anticipate a quick recovery and found the heel of her shoe embedded into his upper chest . This sent him sprawling through the air, only the bar impacted his blow.

" Damn…" He muttered as he stood slowly and dusted himself off.

Tifa moved again delivering blow after blow to him with her fists. The Turk dodged each and every one with an elegance that he could never possess outside of combat. He then took advantage of a right hook that Tifa had failed to connect and grabbed her arm. Tifa was swung around in a rough fashion before Reno placed his heel against her and pushed off of her back, flipping through the air. The woman fell upon the ground as Reno landed smoothly a few feet away.

Seeing another opportunity, Reno ran towards her and leapt to pounce atop her. Unfortunately for him Tifa had rolled onto her back and anticipated his attack. Just as he descended upon her person she pressed her arms and feet against his body and launched him off of her. Reno landed with a lackluster thud and took a few seconds to recover.

" Good…" Reno purred as Tifa approached with caution. The Turk pretended to till be impacted by her previous blow until she was parallel to him before jumping up. He then delivered a series of combos that consisted of several jabs, hooks, high kicks and mid section shouldering. She managed to only dodge half of his attacks the others connecting with quite an impact. Tifa retaliated with a few round house kicks and body slams.

Before long the two had collapsed upon the floor panting franticly for air.

" You're good…" Reno chuckled.

" You are too…but you fight dirty."

" So...I guess it's a draw..." Reno mused.

"Oh...so you're not such a bad ass now huh?" Tifa giggled.

" I guess…" Reno breathed softly. He then slowly forced himself up before offering his hand out to Tifa.

" Come on I'll walk ya home."

" Alright…I didn't break anything did I?"

Reno surveyed the cuts and scrapes that he had received from her during their scrap. He then shook his head and smiled. " A girl, break me? Nah…at least not in fighting."

Tifa smirked as she elbowed him roughly in the gut before slipping on her coat and heading out of her shop.

" You coming or what?"

Reno nodded as he slipped on his Turk coat and trench coat before following.

" So why did you want to do it?" Tifa finally asked as the pair walked home after she locked up.

" I don't know maybe I just wanted to see how strong you were or maybe I figured it would be a good way to blow off some of this tension you've had inside of you…plus they say you see a true person in the heat of battle…"

" So what did you see then?" She mused.

" Something beautiful."

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**Jade: Alright people….review damn it!**


	11. Debt Collecting

**Jade: Now this is where the action begins people…so enjoy the chapter. Remember to review afterwards because feedback does me some good.**

**Debt Colleting**

" Rude….we have a situation….get Reeve on the phone…No….I don't have time to brief you right now. Get him on the phone and have him call me immediately. Also get Tseng and Elena down here now…" Reno then closed his cell phone and fell to the floor. Now was not the time for weakness. Not when she needed him the most. Reno violently ripped off his shirt and suit jacket. He was fortunate…the bullet wound was minor.

After a few ungraceful steps Reno found himself in the bathroom. He then reached for a pair of tweezers and thrust them into a bottle of antiseptic before shoving them into the hole in his arm. He hissed loudly before pulling the bullet free, allowing it to clatter into the sink.

" Cure three" He chanted softly. Fortunately for him his wound closed itself and was now only a severe bruise. He then slipped on another shirt and blue jacket just before his phone rang. His trembling hands reached for the phone and forced it open.

" Reeve?... Someone took her…I fought them but I was taken by surprise…I need everyone here now…Vincent…all of them. I have Tseng , Rude and Elena on the way as well."

" Vincent and Yuffie are on the way? Ok…what about Barret and the others….I see…too far away…ok. Reeve…I'm sorry…but I promise that those bastards are gonna pay…you coming over too? Ok….see you soon."

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The night had been a usual one. Reno and Tifa had been lounging casually on her couch, Reno, with a glass of scotch and Tifa with some wine. Reno was just about to head out for the evening when it happened. The sound of breaking glass could be heard as a can of tear gas landed in the middle of the room. The pair coughed and sputtered as they tried to find their way towards the exit. Several people rushed in from every entrance of the house and surrounded them. The struggle was unequal…the intruders were well equipped with gas masks. Still Reno fought fiercely taking down a few men. Tifa found herself bound and gagged before she was thrown over someone's shoulder. Reno opened fire upon her captor but he received fire in return. He managed to miss the first round of bullets but the second round a bullet managed to lodge itself right into his left shoulder.

" Fuck! Tifa!" Reno called out.

" Reno!" She screamed through her gag as the man leapt out of the window.

Reno then pulled out a small pistol and fired it. A small electronic device sank into the bottom of Tifa's shoe.

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The sound of a knock jarred Reno from his recollection of the previous events of the evening. "It's open!" Reno shouted. Rude, Tseng and Elena all filed in.

They all took a seat across from him. Elena chewed her lip with discomfort, Rude fidgeted with his tie and Tseng stared at the floor.

Another knock at the door followed. Reno rose from his seat this time and threw the door open. There stood Vincent, Yuffie and Reeve. Once everyone was inside and seated Reno began to explain the scenario that took place earlier. Once Reno mentioned the tracking device Tseng reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a hand held computer and turned it on.

" She's not far from here….but I don't like the look of the coordinates…it's in the prostitution side of town…"

Reno grimaced at the mention of her location. Reeve looked to Vincent who was raking his talons against Reno's couch. Yuffie was the first to jump up. " Let's go then."

" We need a plan…" Vincent uttered.

" I agree," Tseng chimed in.

Reeve pondered to himself for a moment before turning his attention to Reno. " You didn't fail her…"

" I feel like I did."

" I think I have an idea." Tseng uttered.

" The Turks, excluding Reno will handle the outside perimeter….causing a distraction. Vincent, Yuffie and Reeve will handle whatever remains inside….and Reno will retrieve Tifa. Does everyone have a PHS? Everyone turn it to frequency 677…that way we can all hear each other" Each person nodded in agreement and followed instruction.

" Equip yourselves and we'll move out."

Everyone took a moment to exchange materias and inspect their weapons before heading out of the door.

Reno mounted his bike and turned on the ignition. Rude, Tseng and Elena piled into Tseng's Mercedes and Yuffie and Vincent mounted their own bike, and Reeve eased into his BMW. Once everyone had their engine running Tseng spoke into PHS, giving directions to their destination.

The rescue was on.

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" Wake up sweet heart!"

Tifa's eyes glazed before forcing themselves open. A few seconds passed before she was able to focus upon the owner of the voice.

" You!" She spat.

" Me, yes me…Ryu….the leader of the Silver Fox Mafia…you didn't think that you could get away with it did you little Tifa?"

" I paid you back though!"

" Not on time though…now you owe us even more…late fees double the cost. So you still owe me all of that money."

" Oh you go to hell!"

" I already am….now I'm just selecting which level… Look at your situation Tifa….you aren't in any position to talk back to me, especially in such a rude tone. You're not much without your little hired lapdog now are you."

" What!"

" Reno….the Turk….Reeve hired him to watch your back. By the way you owed us a lot more money but Reeve took pity on you and slipped us the extra cash under the table…you just can't seem to do anything on your own now can you?"

Tears stung her eyes as the words of betrayal rolled down his tongue. She couldn't help but ponder if they were valid statements but it would simply have to wait. She had more dire things to focus upon.

Tifa tried to move her arms only to find that they were strapped down onto a bed along with her legs as well. Her skirt had been removed, her shirt sliced open to reveal her perky curves which were barely contained by her black bra.

" You've got a debt to repay and you'll start tonight…I've got men lining up around the building of this spa…all waiting for a piece of you. After all Tifa…you are a celebrity. Who wouldn't want to fuck someone like you."

" You sorry as son of a-" She was cut short as he shoved a gag ball deep into her mouth and kissed her upon the forehead.

" Be a good girl…otherwise I'll let the customers do whatever the hell they want with you…as long as you stay alive…if you get my drift."

**Jade: Another chapter down…another chapter done. Now review.**


	12. Company

**Jade: I'm coming at you with another action packed chapter. And it is longer too. OH PLEASE NOTE I MADE A CHANGE! Vincent and Yuffie are also driving a Mercedes. I also made the change in the previous chapter. Sorry about that. It works better with the story for them to have a car…especially in this chapter.**

**COMPANY**

" Reno slow down!" Reno's eyes shifted downwards at the squawking PHS and scowled.

" Tseng, she could be dead for all we know!" he shouted back into his own talking box.

" Yes, she could, but if she isn't you won't do her much good if you end up as a stain on this pavement now will you!"

Reno inhaled sharply as he attempted to slow the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins. His grip on the gas eased slightly as he fell behind Tseng's vehicle.

" Thank you." Tseng called into the PHS.

Reno simply flicked him off as Vincent and Yuffie pulled up parallel to him. Tseng's car hung a sharp left which the other vehicles followed swiftly.

" I think we're being followed." Vincent called into the receiver of his device.

" I agree." Reeve chimed in. He tailed the group to keep a look out. Not even a quarter of a mile behind him, a pack of four bikers trailed behind.

" Well then we'll have to fix that now won't we." Vincent cooed casually as he glanced over to Yuffie. She simply offered an confirming nod as she unbuckled her seatbelt and Vincent's. She then slid into his lap and straddled his hips for a moment before he slipped out from under her and eased himself into the passenger seat.

" Ready?" Yuffie questioned. Vincent simply nodded. The car came to a screeching halt.

Reeve sped up and swerved around their vehicle .

The windows of the Mercedes then lowered as Vincent slipped half of his body out of the window and rested upon the sill. The then took aim and fired his weapon. The bikers were skilled though and dodged the first hail of bullets with a few graceful maneuvers. Vincent reloaded as Yuffie sped up her vehicle as the bikers approached their car. Vincent then tried again, this time adding a bit of fire material with his attack. The explosive bullet took out one of the bikes but the driver leapt off just before impact and landed safely in the passenger seat of another.

One of the motorcycles then sped up as the driver reached behind his back and pulled out a semi automatic.

" DRIVE!" Vincent shouted as he embedded his mechanical claws into the metal frame of the car to keep a firm grip. The car lurched forward as a hail of bullets flew towards the car. The back window shattered into small fragments which caused Yuffie to shriek.

" Are you injured?" Vincent inquired as he returned fire to the aim shooter. Again he missed.

" No, just hurry up will ya?" Yuffie chimed as she hunkered down to where she could barely see above the steering wheel.

Vincent then fired at the biker again and found that his aim was in vain.

" I'll return shortly Yuffie…"

" Wait what are you…!" Before she could finish Vincent launched himself from the safely of the moving vehicle, into the air.

As he sailed upwards he took his time in aiming at his prey before firing at the peak of his flight. The bullet struck the driver in between the eyes, sending him flying backwards from the vehicle.

" Yuffie….what the hell is Vincent doing!" Reno shouted on the PHS.

" Taking care of business…we've got this…keep on driving, sheesh." Yuffie then looked behind her just in time to watch Vincent descend towards the ground. Much to her amazement he landed on the handle bars of another bike.

The biker cried out in pain as his hands were crushed under Vincent's weight. The crimson eyed killer simply smirked as he leveled his gun with the driver's temple and cocked his gun.

" Say goodnight." He then pulled the trigger and leapt off of the bike. His rampage did not end there though, once he was air born again he sent an hail of bullets in the direction of the third bike. The bike slowed it's path drastically, the biker hoping to place some distance between him, his passenger and Vincent.

Vincent landed upon the cold concrete with a graceful thud before up righting himself. The bike the sped forward in his direction, the passenger now stood in a crouching position in the seat. As the bike passed Vincent the passenger leapt off in a desperate attempt to pounce upon the former Turk. Vincent simply side stepped and watched as the assailant performed a recovering roll. The attacker then eased himself to his feet and smirked at Vincent through his helmet as he retrieved two short swords from the sheathes attached to his back. Vincent placed his gun in his holster and patiently awaited the attack.

The man charged at him with a series of clumsy swipes of the blade which Vincent dodged with an air of elegance. He then clasped his artificial hand around his opponent and crushed the flimsy bone that rested in his grip. The man cried out in pain as he doubled back. Vincent then approached him and kicked in his helmet with the tip of his armored foot. The protective headwear fell to the ground, now useless. The man trembled with fear as Vincent loomed over him before grabbing him by the throat. It was all over as he crushed his windpipe and dropped the fool to the ground. Vincent then turned his attention behind him to the sound of an approaching motorcycle. His eyes spotted his new opponent's weapon….a gun. He wasted no time in retrieving his from his holster as he thrust his body up into the air. As he flew upwards bullets were fired in his direction. Unfortunately for his opponent, his fire was simply too slow and hit nothing but air. Vincent calculated his attack with care before aiming his gun and firing a single bullet. The bullet pierced right through the center of the flunky's' heart.

Vincent landed upon the ground once again before launching himself once more as he bounded towards Yuffie's car which was at least half a mile away now. Within a matter of minutes he had caught up to her. He landed on the roof of the car with a loud crash which caused Yuffie to swerve, since she was caught off guard. Vincent sank his claw into the roof of his car to make sure he maintained balance. He then slipped back in through the passenger window and buckled his seatbelt.

" So….how'd it go?" Yuffie asked.

" We don't have company anymore…" Vincent replied.

" I never liked company." Yuffie bantered as Vincent retrieved the PHS in the car.

" Our company is taken care of."

Reno, and the others thanked him for handling the minor distraction.

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" We have company up ahead…." Tseng announced

Reno's eyes shifted upwards as the thundering sound of helicopter propellers ripped through the silent night. A search light was then flicked on from the aircraft, it locked on Reno.

" Shit!" Reno cried as he reached into his coat and pulled out a simple 9 mm. It hardly did him any good. A few bullets lodged into the flying bird but nothing critical to do any damage. The helicopter on the other hand was armed with a Gatling gun. Reno slammed on his breaks as he swerved to miss the rain of bullets aimed at his person.

" FUCK!" He shouted he then sped off again past Tseng's car, Reeve and Vincent's car.

" Hang in their Reno." Rude's voice interjected on the PHS.

" Hurry the hell up!" Reno cried as he swung his bike from right to left.

Rude smirked inside of the car as he lifted the back seat the Mercedes to reveal a rocket launcher.

" You told us that you got that thing out of here!" Elena exclaimed.

" I lied…you never know when it comes in handy. Now pop the sunroof." Rude then armed the weapon and handed it off to Elena as he moved to position himself.

Tseng simply pressed the button and watched the glass ceiling of his car slide away.

" Don't tell me that that rocket is homemade Rude."

" Shinra technology at its finest." Rude retorted as he stood on the armrest in the middle of the car and eased hald of his body though the sunroof. He then made a "give me" motion to Elena.

As she handed it off she growled. " You hand made this thing….it's gonna pack a punch."

" Oh shit." Reno groaned as he looked back to see his partner's gleaming bald head now sticking out from the sun roof. He knew exactly what was about to happen.

Once Rude was armed with his new toy, Tseng sped up his car within firing range of the helicopter before radioing everyone.

" Speed up everyone…when Rude fires this thing the helicopter is going to come crashing down….no telling where it will land either….just incase it blocks the road we need to be able to clear it before it lands.

Once he received a reply from each vehicle Rude began to aim his weapon through the telescope. He was forced to duck inside the vehicle as the helicopter took notice of him and began to open fire on their vehicle. Lucky for them, Tseng had taken the time to bullet proof his vehicle. Elena rolled down her window and offered some decent return fire at the chopper. Rude quickly rose back to his outpost position as Elena continued to distract and took aim.

The then pressed the trigger and watched the rocket fly forward. The then ducked inside the car and was thrown back as Tseng floored it along with everyone else.

The rocket sank in the center of the chopper before exploding. The propellers flew into the woods along with half of the helicopter. The rest of the helicopter began to fall from the sky in small pieces. Each car managed to dodge the debris effortlessly.

" That sure as hell better be it." Reno growled.

" I believe it is." Reeve chimed in on his PHS.

" Tifa…I'll see you soon." Reno uttered softly.

**Jade: This chapter was fun to right. I hope you liked the action. Remember I need feedback to know how I'm doing. So review please. The next chapter will be here shortly.**


	13. Taking Over

**Jade: I'm sure that you've noticed that the characters are a bit more violent and bloody than in the games…I did make this a M rating though for that very reason. It's going to get very ugly in this chapter. A lot of action. And it's a longer chapter too. Lots of blood will be spilt and a lot of cool fights will emerge. The story is starting to wind down so brace yourself. Also please review at the end of the chapter. I definitely enjoyed writing my last chapter. I love Vincent and his fighting style allows me to write a lot of cool moves into the story. Enjoy the chapter.**

**Taking Over**

The drive seemed never ending for Reno and the others as the fastidiously approached the slum known as Loveless Lot. Fortunately for the rag tag team they did not encounter any more resistance. Unfortunately that meant that their arrival was most certainly anticipated. The best that they could hope for was a surprising form of tactics.

Tseng cut off his headlights as he entered the outskirts of the slum, the other vehicles followed in suit.

" Is everyone armed?" Tseng inquired over the PHS.

" You have the rest of my toys in the car." Reno replied.

" We're fine." Vincent spoke for himself and for Yuffie.

" I've got my bag of tricks ready." Reeve interjected.

Elena smiled as she cocked her automatic and winked at Tseng. He simply shook his head at the sight. A tiny woman such as her looked absurd with such a large and powerful weapon.

Reno toyed with some wire within his coat before cocking all three of his guns that were hidden in various places on his body. Tseng had two pistols neatly tucked in his belt. They most certainly were armed.

Tseng's car came to a stop a few blocks away from a large crimson mansion.

" That's our target dead ahead…"

Reeve emerged from his car after parking it and tucked the keys into his coat pocket. Vincent and Yuffie soon hopped out of their car after one last check on their materias and equipment before parking their vehicle.

Reno shut off his bike and dismounted before approaching Tseng's car. As the Turks' filed out Rude tossed Reno a utility belt. Reno smirked as he inspected its contents: a few grenades, ammo, a few 9 mm, throwing knives, some flash bombs, smoke screens and of course his EMR.

" Thanks partner…do I get a note from mommy telling me to be a good boy at school too?" Reno mused as he slipped the belt on before draping his shirt and jacket over it.

Rude smirked at Reno's attempt at humor but only offered a shrug before reaching back into the car to pull out a black gym bag.

" I don't even want to know…" Elena groaned, she could only guess how many pounds of explosives rested within the area of his bag.

" If we are done with the idle chat…." Vincent started. Reno just nodded to him before stepping forward towards their destination.

" Come on Tifa's waiting for us."

The rescue was officially underway.

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" Stop it!" Tifa screeched as one of Ryu's clients roughly grabbed her hair and forced her towards him.

The man simply laughed at her pathetic cries which sent a wave of anger through her body. Without a second thought she spat into his face. She was then greeted with a slap against her right cheek.

" Disgusting little bitch…lick it off."

Tifa leaned forward and extended her tongue to wash away her saliva, once she was within reach, she sank her teeth into his cheek and ripped her head to the right, taking a chunk of his flesh into her mouth.

The man yowled in horror and pain as Tifa spat it upon the ground before turning to him again, spitting on him again. At this moment the guards that stood outside the door burst in and escorted him out. Once he was dealt with Ryu was escorted in. His eyes seemed to glow with fury.

" Disgusting little cunt!" he bellowed as he drew his fist and struck her in the jaw. Much to his dismay, she did not give him the satisfaction of viewing or hearing her pain. She simply glared at him with contempt.

Ryu disappeared from the room for a moment before emerging once again. He then approached her and turned her around so that her back was to his front. That's when he revealed what he had retrieved….a nine tails whip.

He backtracked a few steps before drawing his hand back to bring down the weapon.

A hot sharpness ripped through her skin as she gasped for air. Tears threatened to explode from her exhausted eyes, but she only bit her tongue to quiet herself.

" Scream for me Tifa…" Ryu purred seductively as he whipped her a second time. She flinched under his ministrations but her silence was not broken.

" Still won't comply? Very well….Poison….three…" He chanted. Tifa's knees instantly buckled as the spell took hold of her. He then waited before casting a simply slow spell on her. He would not allow her the simple escape of blacking out or dying, he intended for her to live through every punishment that he could inflict upon her.

The poison caused her lacerations to burn with such an intensity that she balled her fist to the point of drawing blood by her nails. He struck her again and was rewarded with a weak groan.

Again and again he assaulted her , purposely striking her opened wounds. After the sixth blow she screamed loudly but he still did not yield to her. It was only when she begged did he toss aside his weapon.

" I will enjoy breaking you my little doll…now no more biting my clients…it's expensive to pay for their hospital bills." With that Ryu took his leave. Tifa burst into a fit of tears.

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" This is where we part our ways….give us five minutes before moving in." Tseng instructed the team as they all concealed themselves in a thicket of bushes across the street from the gated mansion.

" Turks move out." Tseng ordered.

Rude, Elena, and Tseng then bolted to the fence and scaled it with ease. Once they were on the other side, each member hugged the wall with their body and began to slide across the perimeter. Tseng surveyed the surveillance cameras before looking to Rude. He simply opened his black bag of tricks and handed Tseng what appeared to be a gun, however it was an electromagnetic disruption device. Tseng pointed it to the camera and pressed the trigger. A small humming sensation could be felt in his hand, which was the only indication that the device was working. Within a few minutes, the red activation light of the camera faded to black. Tseng then broke away from the group and proceeded to deactivate the rest of the surveillance system. Elena snaked her way past Rude and discovered the fuse box and began toying with it for a few minutes. With a few tugs at a few wires the security alarm system had been deactivated. She was tempted to cut the power as well but that would be too obvious. Rude smiled as he took out a few of his hand made grenades and tossed them in various places. After a few seconds a series of explosions rocked the front yard. The oblivious guards that were stationed outside of the doors and windows attempted to radio for back up but were baffled as to why their PHS's had failed the. Rude's device not only packed a punch but it served as a scrambler for communication devices, which included their own. It was a small price to pay though.

It didn't take long for the Calvary to arrive on the front lawn, by this time Rude, Tseng and Elena had regrouped in the front of the house and stood ready with their guns and explosives drawn. Three men ran towards them, but Elena took them out with three fires of her gun, each bullet sailing right through their throat. Fire was now being received from the roof but rude rendered that problem by pulling out a few cans of knock out gas and tossing them up there. The fire stopped within a few minutes. The group them ran towards the back of the house and intercepted another group of lap dogs. Tseng smirked as he charged ahead of his co workers and grasped his opponent's head in his head before twisting it with one simply gesture. A smile of satisfaction blossomed on his lips as the familiar snapping sound greeted his ears. Elena covered Tseng by taking out an approaching guard with two bullets. Rude engaged himself with a bit of hand to hand combat. With two blows he managed to shatter his opponents jaw and rib cage. He then reached into his jacket and retrieved his wire and secured it around the man's neck. It was all over within a moment.

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" It's been five minutes…." Vincent announced as he looked to Reno, Reeve and Yuffie. The team then ran from their hiding place and charged the porch. Reno reached into his belt and pulled out one of Rude's homemade explosives and threw it against the door. The guards on the other side were thrown back against the hallway wall as the door way imploded inwards. Once they were inside Vincent and Reeve retrieved their guns from their holsters and began to open fire. Yuffie took her shruiken into her hand and smiled as she twirled it over head a few times before tossing it. The devastation of her circular shaped weapon was truly something to be admired. The four guards that were once standing before them were now decapitated by one clean motion of her toy. As her weapon returned to her, she took a hold of it in her hand and placed it upon its resting place on her back. The group then rushed forward, stepping into the den. The den itself was abandoned but there were three doors that lead to the unknown and a staircase straight ahead. Each person broke off in their own direction. Reno, taking the staircase, Vincent, taking door number one, Yuffie with door number two and leaving Reeve with the leftovers.

As Reno disappeared upstairs the trio counted to three before kicking in the door. Yuffie dove into the room, before performing a side roll. The five mob members that were reclined on chairs and couches instantly sprang to their feet. Yuffie simply smiled at their humble mistake as she withdrew her vindictive weapon and threw it. The weapon whizzed through the air, barely staying above ground. The mobsters had not anticipated the speed or accuracy of her weapon and soon found themselves upon the ground, their feet severed from their legs. A wave of agonizing groans filled the room as Yuffie retrieved her weapon and approached. She then did the unthinkable, she robbed them of their materia and money before casting a powerful sleep spell on them.

Reeve kicked the door open and was instantly greeted with a hail of bullets in his direction. He retreated against the wall outside of the room before returning fire, based on the sound of where the gun fire had echoed just seconds ago. He managed to take out the closest one to the door, which granted him access. As he stepped into the room he instantly dove behind a knocked over table and began to return fire once again. After a few minutes of gunfire Reeve withdrew his handkerchief from his jacket and waved it around before stepping out. The gunfire ceased as Reeve stepped into the center of the room with hands raised.

" You got me ok…and I will do you a lot more good alive then I ever would dead…" Seven mobsters encircled him, pistols drawn upon him.

He then turned to one of them and smiled as the unthinkable happened, his head dropped to the ground. Then an arm, followed by the other, his middle body and finally his legs. The mobsters stared at the mangled corpse and began to ponder why there was no blood. Suddenly Reeve's torso began to twitch as the creature known as Cait Sith emerged.

" Oh hello boys…" The mechanical doll mused.

" What the hell?" One of the mobsters mused.

" Goodbye boys." Cait Sith shouted. The little doll than began to glow bright red as it exploded, swallowing the unsuspecting men up in a wave of flames.

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When Vincent kicked in the doorway to his assigned room he was greeted with the sound of screaming women. He hesitated for a moment as a two unclothed women fled past him, disappearing up the stairway that Reno had ventured up. Once the innocent bystanders were cleared from his path Vincent allowed his fury to take over him full force. His body began to tingle all over as he doubled over onto the floor. His jaw protruded slightly as his teeth turned to fangs. The crimson of his irises expanded their horizon, taking over every inch of the boundaries of his eyes. His leather clothing melded into a protective armor. The artificial claw was now replaced with a real one, his other hand matching it in unison. The crimson of his cape was now a pair of crimson colored wings. What stood before the unsuspecting mob men was the beast known as Chaos.

One man reached over to retrieve the pistol on the nightstand next to the bed but Chaos was already leering over him. His claw drew back before slashing open the man's chest, allowing bed to spray over the satin sheets. The beast then turned on another man and fired a bolt of lightening. As the magic struck the man, his body convulsed, his mouth foamed and his eyes fell into the back of his head before falling over limp.

" MONSTER!" Another mobster yelled as he aimed his gun and fired at Chaos. As the bullet approached, Chaos' oversized hand reached out and plucked it from the air. His hand then opened, allowing the bullet to fall to the ground.

" God…" The fool was now trembling with fear as he dropped his gun and fell to his knees.

" God has no mercy for you…" Chaos snarled while approaching. He drew his claws back once more and sliced the man's neck in half.

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Tifa was jarred awake after hearing several explosions from the lower level of the house. She then heard the sound of frantic footsteps passing by her door.

" Did they come?" Tifa whispered.

Her hopes were interrupted as the door to her room was kicked in to reveal Ryu. As he stepped inside he locked the door behind him and sat down beside Tifa. He knew that she was his bargaining chip and as long as her life was in his hands he could continue his upper hand in the situation. So there he remained, awaiting the battle that he knew would come soon enough.

" You won't win." Tifa growled.

" Silence you little insolent girl."

" You won't kill me yet…and I know it. They will rip you apart…it sounds like they are having fun remodeling your house.

" I said silence!"

" Did you think that you could stand up to us? The only way that you got me here was with knock out gas. You and your mafia are nothing but a group of cowardly children….nothing more then a bunch of bullies…and now you're scared because you've seen what real power is."

Ryu's fury took over him as he rose and struck her in the eye, then the stomach and the ribcage, cracking a few of them in the process.

Tifa quieted with each blow until she said nothing more, she only glared at him with eyes filled with nothing but hatred.

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" Get out of my fucking way!" Reno roared as he delivered a series of spinning kicks at the mob members in front of them. He then withdrew his pistol and threw himself to the ground while opening fire, taking out several of them in the process. His speed was truly frightening. Each time a member blinked they risked their life. Reno sprang up from the floor and charged forward. Just before slamming into one of the mobsters, he leapt upwards and wrapped his legs around his neck. The then threw his weight downwards and brought his opponent down to the ground with him and snapped his neck between his legs. A playful chuckle emerged from Reno's throat as he reached into his belt and retrieved a flash grenade and tossed it towards the oncoming group of four. They shielded their eyes, but the damage was done, their vision was compromised slightly. Reno delivered a series of jabs and uppercuts to one man after another before withdrawing his 9 mm and opening fire on each of them, taking them out execution style. The then advanced onwards and kicked in the door on his left. He found nothing so he moved onwards continuing the pattern until he encountered gunfire in one of the guest bedrooms. Reno moved from side to side before taking out a throwing knife. With a flick of the wrist the weapon was out of Reno's hands and rested deep within the heart of his opponent. The man proceeded to cough and sputter violently as Reno approached. The heel of Reno's shoe rested against the man's windpipe.

" Where….is she…" He asked.

" Ugh….I don't know…" His statement was then cut short as Reno shifted some of his weight onto the man's throat. After a few seconds he balanced himself on one leg again.

" One more time….where is she…"

" Third door down…from here…Ryu is with her…..probably fucking her…" Reno had heard enough as he stomped downwards upon his windpipe, ending his suffering instantly.

" Tifa!" he shouted as he ran from the room and approached the doorway.

" Reno!" A voice called out from the otherside.

He yielded in front of the door before kicking it in. There, through the dust and debris was Tifa…his beloved Tifa.

**Jade: Alright….review already! Please? I really do need feedback.**


	14. Reno's Revenge

**Jade: I am determined to finish this story by the end of this week or next week. I have already been toying with another TifaxReno story….it will be an AU. I am really having a lot of fun writing these action scenes…I keep on listening to a lot of rock while I write them…it seems to help. Oh you know this chapter will be good. Lots of blood and violence as always. The ride is almost over…so enjoy it while it lasts. EXTREMELY VIOLENT CHAPTER…KIDS SHOULD NOT READ IT.**

**Reno's Revenge**

" Stupid boy…" A voice resonated from the shadows of the room as Reno entered with his gun drawn.

Ryu stood parallel to Tifa's battered and poisoned body and offered a coy smile. In his hand rested a strange orb of material.

" What the fuck is that!" Reno demanded as he cocked his gun, ready to take action if the need arised.

" It's a special material called Plague…I suggest that you drop the weapon now otherwise I'll cast it."

" I don't think so…anything can be cured by a counter materia. Any idiot knows that."

Ryu smirked as he held the materia over Tifa's head and chanted its incantation. Instantaneously Tifa's body began to convulse violently with shivers. Her flesh paled to the color of snow, her veins becoming more and more prominent. She was then racked with a series of violent coughs, the last one forcing her to spit up blood.

" You son of a bitch!" Reno screamed as he fired his weapon, lodging the bullet into Ryu's hand. He dropped the material to the ground and cradled his injury for a moment. Then he did the unthinkable, he brought the wound to his mouth and licked the blood from the puncture.

" Delicious…"

" Sick fuck!" Reno roared as he withdrew two throwing daggers and hurled them at his person. Each one lodging itself into each of his shoulders. Ryu only laughed at his actions as he removed the offending weapons with his injured hand.

" I can't feel pain Turk…so I can't understand the pleasures of love, or the dangers of death. I am freed from such finite trivials."

Ryu then advanced towards Reno, abandoning Tifa's shivering living corpse.

" Oh how I will enjoy watching you suffer….under my will. I'll torture you of course but the twisted thing is…I'll give you the privledge of watching her die…"

" HELP ME! I CAN'T SEE…OR HEAR….RENO? VINCENT? YUFFIE? ANYONE!" Tifa then began to tremble even more sporadically before finally slipping into a state of unconsciousness.

Reno's body shook with fury as his gaze shifted from Tifa to Ryu. Within an instant Reno's feet were alive with movement, carrying his body towards Ryu. With one violent push, they were both out of the nearby window and onto the roof.

Ryu laughed as Reno pinned him to the shingles. Each blow he received from Reno's fist yielded more bruises upon his face yet his maniacal cackles never ceased. Displeased with his results, Reno grabbed Ryu by the collar of his suit and brought his forehead against his before stepping up and away.

Ryu quieted for a moment before rising to his own feet. " What is that it Reno?"

" No….what I am going to do to you Ryu will never be enough….ever. Nothing will ever be equivalent to the amount of suffering that you have put her though…what you have put me through…your reign of hell is going to stop tonight so I hope you wrote out your will and selected the level of hell that you want to stay on because that's your next destination….even if I have to go with you!"

With that said Reno delivered a series of kicks to Ryu's chest, shattering a few ribs in the process. Ryu retaliated with an uppercut to the jaw. Reno hardly flinched at the attack as he doubled back for a moment to regroup his thoughts. He then reached behind his jacket and retrieved his EMR. A simple flick of the wrist was all it took for the weapon to become active. Electric waves roared over the steel baton as Reno twirled it playfully though his fingers. His tongue smoothed over the corners of his mouth as he approached Ryu and punched him in the stomach, forcing him to double over. Reno then grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his face into the ground, grinding it crudely against the hardened tar of the roof.

The it happened. Reno brought the first blow of his weapon down into the center of his spine and pressed it firmly against him, not only snapping his spinal chord but allowing the currents of electricity to transfer from his weapon to Ryu's body.

The man twitched violently for a few moments before Reno gave him release. He then rolled Ryu's weakened body over with the kick of his left foot.

" Not so tough now are you…."

" I can't feel pain…" Reno knew he was lying.

" Ok…." Reno then grabbed Ryu's left hand and snapped his pinky finger.

" Feel that?"

Ryu bit into his lip as Reno continued to break the rest of his fingers on that one hand alone.

" How about that one or that one….any of those?"

After receiving silence, Reno lifted his EMR over his head and brought it down upon Ryu's left knee cap.

" Still nothing?" Reno mused as he awaited a response. Blood leaked from the corners of his enemies mouth, he had drawn blood from digging his teeth so deeply into his lips.

Reno waited a few more seconds before giving the same treatment to the other knee cap before dropping to his knees to retrieve one of his knives.

" You tell me when you feel pain…and maybe it'll stop." Reno purred as he moved the blade to Ryu's right Achilles tendon.

Reno's eyes locked with his enemies as he sliced his blade clean through it. Ryu's eyes slammed shut, his body now shook with pain, but there was still no audible sound so Reno repeated his actions.

" Like I said…nothing that I do to you will ever be equivalent to what you have put her through…"

Ryu parted his lips as if he were about to speak the words of submission but there was no such occurrence. Instead, he pursed his lips and spit blood into Reno's face. The consequence of such an action was intense. Reno took the bloodied blade that he held in his hands and drove it right in between the legs of Ryu. He gasped in pain and shock as the blade pierced his sac. Unfortunately for Ryu, Reno wasn't done, he twisted the blade a few times before dragging it from side to side before finally removing it.

An inhuman scream emerged from the lips Ryu as his eyes began to glaze. Reno grabbed him by the shirt collar as he dropped his weapon and slapped his hand across the face.

" Now, now sunshine…don't roll over and go to sleep on me just yet."

A few grunts emerged from Ryu as he wheezed for air. Reno dropped Ryu back onto the ground before breaking each of his arms. Ryu was now truly at the mercy of Reno's wrath.

" Now that you can't really move…" Reno stated lazily as he took his blade into his hand again and began to twirl it. Reno then sat down upon Ryu's chest as he pressed his hand to his opponents forehead and forced his right eye to stay open.

" No!" Ryu screamed.

" No?" Reno mused.

The blade now hung less than an inch away from his pupil.

" I wouldn't move…I might drop it."

" I'm sorry!" Ryu cried out.

" Oh? Really?"

" Please…"

" Tell me…is there a cure for what you did to her?"

" Yes…2 gyshal greens followed by a cast of heal, and restore…and then life…you have to cast life last…"

" Why!"

" The plague is eating away her body…she is technically in-between the planes of life and death right now…you have to restore her body first to get rid of the impurities. If you cast life on her first then the plague will only grow stronger and pull her over the edge into death…a death that can't be brought back with a phoenix spell…you restore her body first and then you cast life on her to bring her away from death's doorstep."

" Thank you…" Reno then plunged the dagger into the man's eye and pulled it out. Ryu howled in pain.

" Now I'll make it all stop…all of your pain."

Reno tossed his weapon aside as he took out his EMR once again and began to deliver blow after blow against Ryu's face. He only ceased when he could lift his arm no longer.

He fell to the ground and rested on his side for a minute next to Ryu's corpse before dragging himself off of the ground and climbed back inside the window he jumped out of.

Tifa was alive, but just barely. Her retrained body struggled for each breath, her eyes were now had a milk colored film over them, her nails had turned purple. Lesions had erupted in her flesh as well.

Reno gently reached down and ran his fingers through her whitening hair. She twitched against him but relaxed. She knew it was him just by the gentleness of his hand.

Tears stung his eyes as he cried out for Vincent, Yuffie and Reeve. The pair appeared in the door instantly, The Turks right behind them.

Tifa's appearance took them all by surprise. Reno sat down beside her and rested her head in his lap.

" He cast….this materia called Plague…does….does anyone have some gyshal greens?" Reno croaked as he attempted to remain calm.

" I do…." Yuffie chimed as she reached into her pockets and tossed them over.

"Those are for chocobos…" Elena stated, stupefied as she watched Reno force them into Tifa's mouth.

" Has anyone mastered a restore and a heal materia?"

" I have…" Tseng stated as he stepped forward and placed his hand over her body.

" Which one do you want first?"

" Heal…"

Tseng chanted the spell and watched as the magic resonated within her body. Reno observed her to see if any progress had occurred. Coloration seemed to restore itself slightly and her tremors seemed to lessen as well before coming to a complete stop.

When restore was cast upon her all of her coloration had returned to normal, and the strange film that had formed over her eyes dissipated as well.

" Tifa…can you hear us or see us?"

She groaned an inaudible reply which Reno took to be a yes.

Reno then looked down to her as he uttered the word " Life."

As the spell took hold, Tifa's body jolted slightly. All of her lesions and other ailing symptoms disappeared. She then fell into a deep sleep from pure exhaustion.

Reno sighed with relief as he looked to her then the others. Vincent then removed his cape and draped it over her sleeping form.

" Reno you're covered with…" Rude started.

" I know…"

" My hands are unclean…but it was worth it…they can't get anymore soiled then they already are…"

Reno then looked to Tseng and Yuffie cradling Tifa in his arms as he brought himself to stand.

" Let's leave this hell hole." Yuffie announced.

As everyone exited the house, Rude dropped his black duffel bag on the floor in the middle room. Once everyone was safe by their vehicles he handed a detonator to Reno and smiled.

" Shinra technology..."

Reno then pressed the button as he watch the house explode into nothing but fireworks and splinters.

" At its finest..." He finished.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Jade: I said it was violent…I'm kind of disturbed with myself for writing that…but it was deserved. There should be a few more chapters and then that will be that folks. Please review..I would really LOVE feedback…especially on this chapter.**


	15. Answers and Honesty

**Jade: Alright don't shoot!!! Sorry I've been away due to personal issues…everything is fine…it's just a little crazy and complicated. Welcome to the last chapter. Yeah….the last chapter. I hope everyone likes it. Review my whole story after you read it. Let me know what you think. I really liked writing this story…especially the action scenes. Umm without further a due….the last chapter.**

**Honesty and Answers**

A few days had gone by before Tifa came around. Her recovery was slow and unpleasant. Bruises, rips, cuts, scrapes and other injuries riddled her body. The worst was her wounded pride. The fact that she was incapable of holding her ground brought her down in confidence, the worst of it all though was the pressing question that Ryu had embedded in her brain.

" Was he telling the truth about Reno…is he just here because he's under contract?" She whispered softly in her vacant room. Fingers clutched the sheet as she slid them away from her body while bringing herself to stand. She then peered out of her bedroom window and looked down to see Reno sitting on the curb of her house.

'Is he watching me even now?' Tifa wondered as she observed the man for a moment. Reno eased the glass of scotch to his mouth as he took a sip. He was far from any form of intoxication, but the alcohol eased the tension he had felt for the past few weeks due to his concern with Tifa's well being and her recovery. He had already attempted to return the money to Reeve on several occasions, but each time he was turned down with a simple laugh. Reeve always asked him why, and Reno hesitated so Reeve sent him away.

The truth of the matter was, he loved her, and taking that money seemed unethical. He would have protected her regardless of the costs and benefits. He had already been paid by enjoying the pleasure of her company, seeing her smile, watching her laugh, easing her tears, and engaging in fights with her. All of these things were done out of the goodness of his heart, without any ulterior motive and without any desire for selfish gain.

As he continued to become lost in the labyrinth of thoughts the sound of foot falls were lost to him until he heard a throat clearing itself. His piercing eyes shifted as he pivoted to see who had joined him.

" Tifa….shouldn't you be in bed babe?" Reno murmured softly as he set down his glass and patted the concrete curb. Tifa gently eased herself down beside him and sighed.

" Yeah…it is midnight….why are you out here?"

" Just thinking."

" Your house is on the other side of town Reno."

" The air smells better out here?" Reno tried, but Tifa shook her head before burying it into her knees.

" Reno…" she uttered.

" What?"

" Ryu….said something to me…and I need to know the truth." She then rose to his eye level, all the playfulness and warmth had evaporated from her voice.

" Umm…sure….go ahead."

" Did Reeve pay you to watch after me?"

" Tifa…it's complicated." Reno replied quietly as he reached for his glass and took a sip.

" It's a simple yes or no question." Tifa's voice now held a bit of an edge to it.

" Look, he paid me ok…but…."

Tifa already rose to her feet and began to hurry back to the house. Reno jumped up and ran after her, grasping one of her arms gently. She shrugged it away and shot him a frigid glare. He was not deterred though, he grabbed a hold of both arms and twirled her in his direction. Tifa retaliated by attempting to knee him in the groin but he managed to move away.

" Play nice Tifa." Reno scolded.

She then freed her arms from him and slapped him across the face.

" Play nice? Play nice Reno?! You're the first person I've let in and trusted since Cloud, and you're full of shit!"

She then punched him firmly in the stomach and the jaw, letting her anger and irrationality gain the best of her. Reno did nothing to stop her, he simply took blow after blow until she balled her fists up and rested them against his chest before bursting into a fit of sobs.

" Why you, why did you have to lie too? You could have acted cold to me, maybe this wouldn't hurt so much." She then began to hiccup slightly as Reno wrapped his arms around her before carrying her inside bridal style. She was placed upon the couch as Reno took a seat down beside her and sighed.

" You ready to listen to me now or do you want to hit me some more?" Reno asked earnestly.

Tifa simply stared at him but said nothing so he continued.

" It is complicated Tifa, yes…when I took the job I was paid in advance…I didn't even understand why a strong woman like you would need protection but at the time it was just a job…then I started to hang around you and get to know you. I could have just stayed in the shadows and trailed you everywhere you went but I wanted to be by your side…I wanted to take care of you…I was there that night that you got drunk..I tucked you in and stood watch outside of the house. I was there when you left your house to go visit Cloud's grave….and I began to fall for you. I always thought you were beautiful but your intelligence, your grace, your ability to adapt and cope, to forgive, to understand….everything about you….I came….I came to love….Tifa I love you. When I was unable to save you I was irrational and frantic. I was a mess…I wanted to draw nothing but blood because the thought of someone defiling you, and hurting you made me sick to my stomach and I felt as if I had failed you. I knew I had strong feelings for you before but when they took you from me…that's when I realized. Tifa I would do anything for you. Absolutely anything. I haven't had a cigarette in weeks….I've cut down on the drinking too…all because I know that you don't care for either of those habits. I want to be with you, I want to make you happy, make you smile and laugh, just as I already have been. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours Tifa…and so when I finally realized that I tried to give the money back…Reeve refuses to take it. I haven't spent a penny of it. I can't put a price on you…I am glad I took the job though, otherwise I would have never come to know you the way that I do now. Hell I was there that you and the girls went to the drag queen came with me…we kept on getting hit on…but I didn't care because I was enjoying watching you have a good time. Like I said Tifa…it is complicated…and I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally.

The pair sat in silence for a few moments after Reno finished speaking. Tifa then looked over to him with a soft glance. Her lips curled into a smile before shying away from him. Reno shook his head and gently placed his fingers upon her chin, pulling her face to meet his.

" Don't shy away from me…"

Tifa leaned in and gently pressed her lips to his. The pair hesitated for a moment as she drew back. A second later Reno drew her against his body and became to press his lips upon her more forcefully. Their exchange grew wild and reckless. Reno's hands ran rampantly though Tifa's hair as her fingers gently slid over his firm abdomen beneath his shirt. The pair finally broke away from one another and stared at each other in a daze.

Reno cocked a grin at her before turning his head to the side.

" Ok…" Tifa uttered.

" Ok what?"

" Ok, alright…I forgive you…"

" And…?"

" And…..and I love you too."

There was nothing else to say, Reno simply scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.


End file.
